I've resurfaced!

It's been forever since I've updated the old blog. I don't really have an excuse; except for the fact that I spend so much time on the computer for work that when I'm done with work I don't want anything to do with the computer anymore. But, I've finally decided it's time!

I'll start with work. I'm a behavior coach for a local non-profit agency. I work with kids in the behavior health system who have fairly serious behavior issues. I work in their homes, school, or out in the community with them. It just depends on what their issues are. When I interviewed they told me that 85% of the kids they work with were aged 6 - 12. So far, I've been stuck with all teenagers. Teens are not may favorite (mostly because I remember the attitude I gave to almost all authority figures during my teens) but we get along pretty well. Here's a rough overview:

• Client A: 17-year-old boy with serious physical aggression issues and sexual tendencies. He's 6'2 and over 200lbs. He's ran from me, pulled out razor blades, thrown desks through windows, ripped doors off hinges, and has been admitted in-patient at the behavioral health hospital twice. Surprisingly, we've had several break throughs. His behaviors have greatly decreased and went 2 months without having any serious issues. He's still doing better, but recently got kicked out of his behavior school. We're starting fresh at a new school, especially for students with no other options. So far, so good.
• Client B: 15-year-old girl who throws tantrums, yells and swears at her mom, and has very concerning promiscuity issues. She was my favorite and would have been a totally normal teen if her mom had not been such a nutcase. Her mom is the rudest person I've ever met and is completely unreasonable and needed her own intensive therapy. I couldn't keep it all straight, but she had at least 6 husbands in 10 years. Hello promiscuity issues for here 15 year old. I had the most difficult time with her and found myself wanted to yell and swear at her along with her daughter. There's a long story behind it, but she left me at the airport for 5 hours babysitting her daughter. After that I made her cry several times and felt really good about it. That's how bad she was. My client ended up moving to another state to live with a set of ex-step-grandparents. It's the best thing that will happen to her.
• Client C: 14-year-old boy who drinks and smokes. And asks me to help him fix his bike. We spent a whole afternoon fixing up this bike. Oiling the chain, changing the tires, straightening some spokes, and fixing his seat. Later I found out he stole it earlier that day. Great. His dad is suspected of using meth right now so I have to accompanied every time I visit him. They recently got evicted and lived in their van for a few days. That was a fun visit. But they've since found a place to live.

And when I come home, I document every conversation, every visit, every phone call, and every email. Which is why I don't like to be on the computer. But I do really like my job. It's stressful, but unpredictable. I just wish they'd give me a kid and not more teens. Meh. Ferenc works nights at a security company. He's one of those people who watches the computer for alarms and then calls if there is a problem. So far he's caught a bank robbery and a fire. He likes it okay. I do too, but I miss my husband being in the same bed I'm in.

I'm still fundraising to do the Susan G. Komen 3-day. We recently held a slightly successful bake sale and we're doing another yard sale in two weeks. Time is running short and I still have about $700 to raise before the agency I work for will pay half of the goal. Hopefully we can do it!

Ferenc and I got called to be Sunbeam teachers in our ward. Those little 3-year-olds are so so cute. Today was Ferenc's first day ever in primary and he survived!

I also realized that I was seriously lacking in my reading. In college I limited myself to only reading over breaks because I would become so absorbed that it affected my school work. I guess I just got out of the habit. I've recently made a list of books I want to read. Some of them are books I want to re-read and some are new. It's 134 books long, but I'm making progress! I've read the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series in the past week (although it only counts as one book on my list) and hopefully I'll keep the momentum.

Anyway, that's us. I feel like all we do is work, but it's not a bad life. Everyone around is having babies and we love other people's babies so much, that we're still not interested in having our own yet :) But someday!